Fans help a fan — and find friendship
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Sometimes finding a friend is as simple as seeing someone in need and helping them when no one else will.
Dora Pioli, of Montoursville, attended a Little League World Series game near the start of the series and arrived early enough to get a seat in the accessible area. Walking with a cane because of her knee replacements, having the seat helped. During the game, she left for a few minutes and when she came back, her seat was occupied by a couple.
While Pioli talked to an usher who explained the area was full, a stranger from West Point, Tennessee that noticed what happened came to help. Hoyt Tidwell told the usher, "I've got a seat for this young lady."
Attending the Little League World Series had been a bucket-list item for Tidwell. Since this year featured a team from Tennessee, he and his wife Suzy decided they would make the 900-mile, 14-hour drive and finally watch the games in person. He arrived at the complex early every day to make sure that he and Suzy would get good seats to watch the games.
Pioli couldn't believe that he had been paying attention to her situation while he watched the game.
"This touched me deeply," she said. "They gave me a hug. Do you know what that hug meant to me?"
"We became friends," Hoyt said.
Their friendship didn't end that day. Every day the Tidwells were there, they looked for Pioli, and for a seat for her in case she needed one. They talked about his cooking show called Hoyt's Kitchen on YouTube and about how Pioli used to bring Kool-Aid for her kids when she brought them to the game, he said.
They exchanged phone numbers so they could keep in touch and the Tidwells even went over to Pioli's house for lunch, which turned into a few hours of talking.
"I think she's a remarkable lady," Suzy said. "She's just a very interesting lady."
"She's a very energetic person," Hoyt said.
Pioli called them "wonderful people."
Hoyt's ultimate goal was to get tickets to see the Championship games. He knew that no matter how early he got to the stadium, he would not be able to get a seat in the bleachers. He made a friend at Will Call who asked him if he would be back for the Championship games. He said if he got tickets, he would. She managed to get tickets for him, Suzy and Pioli. He was so excited to get her a ticket that he called her right away with the news.
Championship game day on Sunday also happened to be Pioli's 89th birthday and had been one of her first Championship games she attended since 1957 at Original Field.
"It's tough getting tickets," Pioli said. "You have to know someone."
Lucky for her, now she knows Hoyt. The trio expects their friendship will last long after the Tidwells make their journey home today.
For Pioli, theirs is the kind of friendship that doesn't need regular maintenance. If they talk once or twice a year, they'll still be friends.
"They gave me a gift," Pioli said. "If you look for good people, you'll find them."